One recent morning, as I rode to my class at the college campus that dominates our town, I found myself wondering why the bike I was testing was called a “cruiser.” Because “cruiser” implies a sort of laid-back, leisurely ride. But, as I weaved through the foot traffic on campus, toggling through each of the Lectric XPress2’s five power modes and cranking the thumb throttle all the way open, I realized how much fun I was having on this bike. It was fast, quick, nimble, easy to pilot, and ultra-responsive—despite its upright riding position and swept-back handlebars.

It moved as I wanted with no lag and, despite its name, was able to squeeze through a number of the little gaps between cars and buses, under-caffeinated undergrads, and any number of dog walkers wandering through campus. As one of America’s most popular ebike brands, Lectric has built a reputation for making sturdy, well-built bikes sold at entirely reasonable prices.

The new XPress2, an update to the Lectric XPress, is no different. And while Lectric trades in a wide variety of niche models—from cargo bikes to folding bikes and even tricycles—the XPress2 is a versatile offering that can serve as most people’s only ebike. One Bike, Endless Riding Options.

The XPress2 retails for $1,784 direct from Lectric and is available in one of two frame styles: Commuter, which features a standard double-triangle design, and Cruiser, which adopts a Dutch step-through style design. Having tested plenty of stiff and speedy commuters lately, I opted for the Cruiser. I spent the better part of my first week with the bike putting it through its paces, trying my best to drain its battery as fast as I could, push it to move as fast as possible, and see how quickly it could stop.